Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

तपस्तप्त्वा गतं मोक्षं येषां जन्म न चागमः । येन तत्र तपस्तप्तं कपिलेन महात्मना

Transliteration

tapastaptvā gataṃ mokṣaṃ yeṣāṃ janma na cāgamaḥ | yena tatra tapastaptaṃ kapilena mahātmanā

Translation

തപസ്സു ചെയ്ത് മോക്ഷം പ്രാപിച്ചവർക്ക് പുനർജന്മം വന്നില്ല; അവിടെയായിരുന്നു മഹാത്മാവ് കപിലൻ തപസ്സു അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചത്।

Word by Word

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्म (austerity as object of 'having performed')

• तप्त्वा: having practiced (performed)
• तप्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (gerund/absolutive): having performed austerity

• गतम्: attained
• गतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (gone/attained)

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धे (of whom)

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध-निपातः (negation)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/अन्वयार्थकः

• आगमः: return/coming again
• आगमः: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (पुनरागमनम्)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), एकवचनम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तप्तम्: was performed
• तप्तम्: Kriya-pratipatti (Predicate/क्रियासम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप्त (कृदन्त; √तप् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि (performed)

• कपिलेन: by Kapila
• कपिलेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), एकवचनम्

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (sage)
• महात्मना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (of the great-souled one)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāpila-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Austere hermitage by the river: Kapila, radiant yet ascetic, seated in deep meditation; nearby rishis engaged in tapas; the air is still, with a subtle aura suggesting liberation and ‘no return’.

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• Mokṣa
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity performed in a sanctified place culminates in mokṣa; true tapas leads to freedom from rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The place where Kapila performed tapas—within the Kapilā/Narmadā sacred region near Amarakanṭaka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is highlighted as the transformative discipline associated with this locale.